Just got off a conference call with Jennifer Rumple, the Alameda woman who was so rudely eliminated from “The Biggest Loser” last night. Though her ouster didn’t make sense to me (other contestants were more deserving), Jennifer said she sensed… Continue Reading →

Just got off a conference call with Jennifer Rumple, the Alameda woman who was so rudely eliminated from “The Biggest Loser” last night.

Though her ouster didn’t make sense to me (other contestants were more deserving), Jennifer said she sensed that it was coming. Because her knee injury kept her out of the gym and in the pool for most of her time on the ranch, she really didn’t get a chance to bond with her teammates.

“I was isolated in the pool, day and night, for weeks,” she said. “Alliances had already been formed.”

Plus, Jennifer said, she had become a “threat” in the competition. “I was getting over my knee injury and able to do more things and lose more weight,” she said. “They saw that I was already putting up big numbers.”

But Jennifer might be getting the last laugh. She looked stunning in her before-and-after photo and it was revealed that, thus far, she has lost an incredible 102 pounds. She is currently training for “The Biggest Loser” marathon, the winner of which will be able to return to the show as a contestant.

“In my opinion, I can win it and get back as a finalist,” she said. “I just want to make sure my knee is going to be good and doesn’t fail me.”

The one important person that Jennifer did bond with on the show is Bob Harper, her trainer. She gives him a lot of credit for her success.

“Bob was the first person who ever believed in me. And I needed that to believe in myself,” she said. “… He knows what buttons to push in me and make me challenge myself.”

Jennifer continues to work out in the East Bay, doing a lot of jogging, pool work and cardio boxing. As for her diet, she has turned almost exclusively to fresh and organic foods.

]]>http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2011/10/26/the-biggest-loser-alamedas-jennifer-rumple-reflects-on-her-journey/feed/372Jen“Biggest Loser”: Lafayette woman goes homehttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2010/01/13/biggest-loser-lafayette-woman-goes-home/
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2010/01/13/biggest-loser-lafayette-woman-goes-home/#commentsThu, 14 Jan 2010 00:48:20 +0000http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/?p=17555Well, that didn’t last long. We’re just two weeks into the new season of “The Biggest Loser” and Lafayette resident Patti Anderson is out of the competition. Her exit comes as a bit of a surprise after setting a show… Continue Reading →

Well, that didn’t last long. We’re just two weeks into the new season of “The Biggest Loser” and Lafayette resident Patti Anderson is out of the competition.

Her exit comes as a bit of a surprise after setting a show record for females by losing 23 pounds in an amazing Week 1. But she followed that up with a 4-pound loss in last night’s episode and graciously requested the other contestants to send her home.

“I need to go home. I will succeed at home,” she said. “I’ll see you all a the finale, and you will be proud of me.”

Patti, 55, went home to Lafayette, and post-transformation, had lost 43 pounds. She was taking dance lessons with her husband.

In a phone conversation with me, Patti said the experience on the show is “helping me to reclaim my life.” Of the remarkable weight-loss total in Week 1, she said, “It was such an accomplishment. Such a shock. I probably haven’t been that happy since I gave birth to Stephanie.”

Stephanie, of course, was her partner going in and remains on the show, despite losing only 3 pounds in Week 2. She’ll be hard-pressed to stay in and kick butt without mom there to support her.

Michael (-11) and Maria (-10) were the big winners on the night.

I asked Patti if she had any advice for any people struggling to lose weight. She said her mantra goes like this: “Work hard and stay strong. You can do it because you’re worth it.”

Michelle Aguilar of Fort Worth, Texas ruled Tuesday night’s finale of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser: Families.” The “Loser” winner went home with $250,000 after dropping 110 pounds since the show’s sixth season began in September. She went from a starting… Continue Reading →

The “Loser” winner went home with $250,000 after dropping 110 pounds since the show’s sixth season began in September. She went from a starting weight of 242 to a current 132.

Aguilar, 26, beat out two other finalists, Vicky Vilcan of Houma, La., (lost 101 pounds) and Ed Brantley of Raleigh, N.C. (139 pounds, but contestants are judged by percentage of body weight lost). Brantley was voted in Tuesday by viewers over wife Heba Salama, who went on to win $100,000 in the competition among the non-finalists.

Now, if we can only get the show to slim down. “Biggest Loser” aired at an ungodly two hours all season and Tuesday’s finale was more padded and bloated than the federal budget.

The next season, “The Biggest Loser: Couples,” is scheduled to begin Jan. 6.

]]>“Friday Night Lights” will finally return to NBC on Jan. 16. That’s great news — unless you’ve already been catching the season on DirecTV (and it has been a stellar season).

Otherwise, NBC doesn’t look to have a lot of scintillating content planned for when the new year hits — not that that’s much different from now. “Chuck” and “Heroes” will be taking the month off. The “Life” time slot will be filled with “Law & Order: SVU” reruns. And “Lipstick Jungle,” again, looks to be a goner.

Hogging the spotlight will be a lot of reality programming. There’s an international dance competition called “Superstars of Dance” (Jan. 4), and a show produced by Ryan Seacrest called “Momma’s Boys” (Jan. 5), which has mothers helping sons pick their mates. And Howie Mandel will head a series called “Howie Do It” (Jan. 9), in which he plays pranks on people. Oh goody.

And let’s not forget a new edition of “The Biggest Loser” (Jan., 6), which could also describe NBC’s fate in the Nielsen race.

There’s also a miniseries in the works: ” “The Last Templar” (Jan. 25 and 26).

The best news for struggling NBC? They’ve got the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.